Dewhurst: Court will change redistricting maps

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Saturday that he believes a San Antonio federal court will modify redistricting maps that the Republican-Legislature pushed through during a special session over the summer.

“I think at the end of the day there will be some changes to the Texas House (map) and our Congressional map,” Dewhurst said during a wide-ranging interview at the Texas Tribune Festival.

A bevy of civil rights groups are suing over the set of redistricting maps the Legislature passed during the summer, claiming they discriminate against minorities.

The San Antonio court ruled earlier this week that Obama’s Justice Department could join in the civil rights groups in the redistricting lawsuit. That follows DOJ’s decision to file a separate lawsuit to stop Texas from implementing its voter ID law.

Dewhurst , who is running against three GOP challengers in his re-election bid, attacked the Obama administration on that end, calling the state’s voter ID law, “imminently, imminently constitutional.”

He added “This is one more log on the fire” in Texas’ battle against Attorney General Eric Holder.

The voter ID case is playing out in a federal court in Corpus Christi. An initial hearing is scheduled for October. In a final salvo on voting rights, Dewhurst took a shot at federal judges in Corpus Christi, saying they are plenty cozy with the Obama administration.

“I think there are a number of judges in Corpus Christi that are on their side,” he said